They were among the second wave of groups to emerge from The Elephant 6 Recording Company and the group has a style that is typical of many Elephant 6 bands due to their interest in combining musical experimentation with the basic tenets of pop i.e. catchy melodies and sing-along choruses. The band’s style has been influenced by conventional indie pop, psychedelic music, vaudeville and music hall on their earlier releases and by afrobeat, funk, krautrock and reggae on their recent releases.
The band’s style has been known to change between albums. At first, the band embraced a more simple, quirky, lo-fi indie pop sound, which occasionally bordered on twee pop. The band was created by Kevin Barnes and named after a failed romance with a woman from Montreal, though the story changes in various interviews. Barnes was the only member of the “group” prior to his relocation to Athens, Georgia. There, he met Derek Almstead, later of Circulatory System, M Coast, Elf Power etc., and Bryan Poole, who also performs as The Late B.P. Helium.
Together, they recorded their first album, Cherry Peel, as well as The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower and The Bedside Drama: A Petite Tragedy.
A number of singles and a re-release of The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower occurred before the release of the band’s third album, The Gay Parade in 1999. With contributions from several members of the Elephant Six collective at the time, it also featured artwork from Kevin’s brother David Barnes, who would continue to do artwork for future albums.
This album marked that the band had moved to a fuller sound, which is also found on its follow-up, Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse. These two albums contain more narrative lyrics, as opposed to the rather personal lyrical matter of those preceding it, and often imitating the style of old 1950s radio plays.
After production on The Gay Parade began in 1998, Poole left the band to focus on his duties with Elf Power, another Elephant Six band from Athens. Barnes also recruited Jamey Huggins and Dottie Alexander, who had been performing together as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly, to play various instruments. Derek moved from drums to bass. The band was joined soon after by Marshmallow Coast’s Andy Gonzales.
Following the release of The Gay Parade, the band signed with Kindercore Records, who would release a number of singles and compilations. It wasn’t until 2001 that Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse would be released as a new album with original material. The album again featured contributions from across the Elephant 6 spectrum.
In 2002, Aldhils Arboretum was released, with a slightly different sound than its predecessors, as the songs were more directly structured. This album marks the beginning of the change in of Montreal’s sound, with more danceable rhythms than ever before, especially on the album’s closer, “Death Dance Of The Omipapas and Sons For You”. A successful tour ensued, including of Montreal’s first trip to the UK, along with a tour-only EP.
Kindercore Records would fold shortly after the release of Arboretum, and of Montreal’s status was also threatened. Kevin got married, and Andy and Derek left the band. Barnes, being uncomfortable with the unrest, as well as some divisions within the band, took to writing and performing their 2004 album Satanic Panic in the Attic mostly by himself. Released by Polyvinyl Records, it became one of their more successful efforts to that point. The 2004 tour saw The Late B.P. Helium (Bryan Poole) rejoin the band, with some bass played by Kevin’s partner Nina Barnes. The album marked a shift to something more electronic with traditional structures, to be further advanced in later albums and new songs. In their most recent releases and concerts, the band has fully embraced a sort of techno-pop glam image, with little of their previous incarnations surfacing. This style is featured in singles such as Disconnect the Dots. The style would continue to evolve into 2005’s The Sunlandic Twins, which was even more a Barnes solo effort. Recorded in Athens, with the exception of one track recorded in Norway, it was a much more pronounced electronic album. The album became a success, mostly due to the singles “So Begins Our Alabee” and the MTV clip for “Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games)”.
The band released several collections of singles in early 2006. Barnes recorded most of the band’s 2007 release, Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, by himself while living in Norway and Athens, Georgia. The switch to autobiographical themes of suicide, depression and isolation of the album was a direct product of his troubled personal life during that period.
of Montreal released Skeletal Lamping on October 21, 2008 followed by False Priest on September 14, 2010, Paralytic Stalks on February 7, 2012, and Lousy with Sylvianbriar on October 8, 2013. Aureate Gloom is scheduled for release by Polyvinyl Records on March 3, 2015.
Lyrically, their style has changed dramatically throughout the years. In the beginning, many songs were narratives of personal or humorous situations, such as “Tim, I Wish You Were Born A Girl”, from Cherry Peel. This style, however, changed with The Gay Parade, where many songs involve small narratives surrounding invented characters (in songs such as “Jacques Lamure”, “The Autobiographical Grandpa”, “Mimi Merlot” and “Rose Robert”). Others act as extracts from fictional conversations (“Advice From a Divorced Gentleman to His Bachelor Friend Considering Marriage” and “Good Morning Mr. Edminton” as examples). With Aldhils Arboretum came a slight return to the previous writing style, except following more poppy, classical lyrical structures (such as the use of choruses, which are generally absent in the Gay Parade/Coquelicot years). This style continued throughout Satanic Panic and The Sunlandic Twins to some extent. On the album Hissing Fauna: Are You The Destroyer? the lyrics are much more personal than previously used, with songs detailing emotions within the speaker.
Another unique quality of the band is the fusion of ostensibly gloomy lyrics with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks. On Aldhils Arboretum, for example, the lyrics for tracks like “Doing Nothing” and “Old People in the Cemetery” focus on apathy, loneliness or death while being contrasted with cheerful instrumentation. Another example of this tendency is shown in their choice of covers; for example, Yoko Ono’s “I Felt Like Smashing my Head Through a Clear Glass Window” from The Bird Who Continues to Eat the Rabbit’s Flower.
True to the style of most Elephant 6 recording artists, of Montreal’s members have been in a variety of side projects and other bands:
The band itself has performed as the backing band for Marshmallow Coast on record and on tour.
My First Keyboard was the pseudonym used by Dottie Alexander to release the song “The You I Created” on the Kindercore singles club. of Montreal acted as her backing band.
Rapture Rapes the Muses
of Montreal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm exploding in smiles my equilibrium is spinning
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
You keep me lit like antediluvian Troy
But one always reveres what ones bound to destroy
Gloomy Erebus is an anathema to me
All of them dancing like flames and the sad enmity
I wonder if I understand.
Am I too young to understand?
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
The first two lines of of Montreal's song "Rapture Rapes the Muses" convey a strong and vivid image of a moment that is both exciting and disorienting. The reference to filmmaker Wong Kar Wai suggests a visually stunning scene, perhaps one of a fast-paced and chaotic cityscape. The ensuing explosion and spinning of the singer's equilibrium indicates the overwhelming impact of this experience on their emotions and perspective. The use of the verb "rapes" in the title is a provocative choice that echoes the intensity and violation of this sensory overload.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Rapture rapes the muses" while offering a contrasting sense of confusion and loss. The implication is that this intense moment of artistic inspiration or romantic attraction has negative consequences that may outweigh its initial thrill. The final stanza introduces the idea of age and understanding, suggesting that the singer may be too young to fully grasp the complexity and consequences of their desires.
This song can be interpreted in many ways, but a common reading is that it reflects the price one pays for intense creative inspiration or passionate romance. The "muses" are often associated with artistic inspiration, but here they are personified and even brutalized by the rapturous experience. The metaphor of rape conveys a sense of violation and powerlessness, and the confusion and void that follow suggest a loss of agency or identity.
Line by Line Meaning
You hit me so hard like a Wong Kar Wai beginning
Your impact on me is intense, like the opening of a Wong Kar Wai film
I'm exploding in smiles my equilibrium is spinning
I'm overwhelmed with joy, to the point where I'm unbalanced
Rapture rapes the muses
Intense pleasure overpowers artistic inspiration
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
You're unaware of how pleasure is negatively affecting creativity
And the void that's left confuses
The emptiness that results from this disconnect is perplexing
It's confusing
The situation is difficult to understand or navigate
You keep me lit like antediluvian Troy
You ignite me like the ancient city of Troy
But one always reveres what ones bound to destroy
One tends to feel reverence for what they know will eventually cause their downfall
Gloomy Erebus is an anathema to me
I don't want to be associated with the darkness of the underworld
All of them dancing like flames and the sad enmity
Everyone seems to be tumultuously caught up in their own conflicts and passions
I wonder if I understand.
I question whether I fully comprehend the situation
Am I too young to understand?
Maybe I'm too inexperienced to interpret this accurately
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KEVIN BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Jaffe
You hit me so hard like a Wong Kar Wai beginning
I'm exploding in smiles my equilibrium is spinning
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
You keep me lit like antediluvian Troy
But one always reveres what ones bound to destroy
Gloomy Erebus is an anathema to me
All of them dancing like flames and the sad enmity
I wonder if I understand.
Am I too young to understand?
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Joseph Jaffe
You hit me so hard like a Wong Kar Wai beginning
I'm exploding in smiles my equilibrium is spinning
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
You keep me lit like antediluvian Troy
But one always reveres what ones bound to destroy
Gloomy Erebus is an anathema to me
All of them dancing like flames and the sad enmity
I wonder if I understand.
Am I too young to understand?
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
Rapture rapes the muses
But you don't notice that it's kissing you
Rapture rapes the muses
And the void that's left confuses
It's confusing
WeeWeeJumbo
Incredibly strong melodic structure and wild vocals, this band is hidden fuckin' treasure. Perfect alt-pop.
Nikolai Bullcry
Every time I come back to this album, it makes me happy.
Cheetos Christ
still im kinda glad of montreal isn't too mainstream, it's a comfy band
Cheetos Christ
@Giselle yeah I know 😂
Giselle
ugh, get over yourself 😁🤣
Andrew Pires
I know right? Like theyre big and influential enough to be relevant but not well known enough to have obnoxious fans/overplayed songs etc. lmao
Zehnuss
Such a great song from an epic album
ZetumHarp
how is this band not bigger? come on!
PugJuggler
love this song